MI Local Foodbeet is here to help YOU learn how easy it is to eat local in Michigan: recipes, food preservation instructions, store locations, restaurant reviews, and more. Although I occasionally receive unsolicited discounts or samples, the opinions in the blog posts are my own.
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Thursday, July 19, 2012

Zucchini

It’s zucchini glut time! Sometimes it is difficult to know
what to do with all of them. Did you know that you can freeze them? I
experimented with zucchini preservation – they are such a bargain this time of
year.

For several years I have frozen shredded raw zucchini for
making zucchini muffins year round. They can be also used for making fritters.
This year I looked up more preservation tips in a reference book. Here’s what I
did:

1.Cut them into ½ inch thick slices.

2.Steam them for 4 minutes in a single layer in a
steamer basket.

3.Chill in ice water; drain and pat dry.

4.Place them in a single layer on a parchment
paper covered cookie sheet.

5.Place in the freezer until frozen through, then
place disks into plastic bags for freezer storage.

Since I had not frozen zucchini slices before, I used a test time of two weeks in the freezer and set the
zucchini disks on the counter until they were nearly thawed.

To cook them, I used a recipe for eggplant parmesan, dipping
them in an egg wash and then bread crumbs. I fried them in oil before placing
them in a baking pan. Then, I covered the fried zucchini slices with marinara
sauce and Leelanau Cheese Company aged raclette cheese and baked them in a 350
degree oven for several minutes. They turned out great; holding up to freezing
better than eggplant has for me.